Rooted In Tradition

HIGH SCHOOLS - NEXT GENERATION

Many people believe the only way we can survive as a nation is for individuals to give up their roots, to lose their cultural identity.

Indeed, the awesome diversity found in America causes problems.

News reports show the ever-growing list of racial problems: riots, people taking sides and taking offense, people being intolerant and close-minded.

If all Americans were culturally similar, there would be no culture-specific cliques, and no hurtful racial slang, like "cracker" or "spic."No one would be suing for discrimination in the workplace, and there would be no feelings of inadequacy over a heritage which cannot be changed. So maybe things would be easier.

But life without diversity? No Oktoberfest, no Seminole Indian Festival, no National Hispanic Month, no Chinese New Year Celebrations, no Bob Marley Fest, no tacos, no eggrolls, no curry chicken.

Life without diversity would be nothing short of boring for many of us. It's important to understand the many backgrounds we come from, and the persecution and joys all groups have experienced.

It's hard to be bitter about past suffering when you see that almost all groups have suffered for the simple reason that they were different. There was slavery and the Holocaust, the Crusades of the Middle Ages and today's Bosnian "ethnic cleansing."

It's easier to see the similarities in each other when we realize that people still celebrate, mourn and persevere, regardless of race or religion. Living in such a diverse nation provides opportunities to learn about and experience other people's backgrounds. There is a delicious sense of unity in realizing we are all different, and yet all the same. The people who strive to share their heritage, their culture, with others, should be applauded, not silenced. Because only when we know where we come from can we know where we're going.